Your assignment is to prepare and submit a paper on kingfisher plc and the home improvement retail industry.

Your assignment is to prepare and submit a paper on kingfisher plc and the home improvement retail industry. Kingfisher Plc has a stern corporate strategy which it has maintained for the past few years. The strategy of Kingfisher Plc focuses on three key factors i.e. ‘Management, Capital and Returns’. (Kingfisher, 2010) Recently, the management structure has been shuffled and a new senior and more experienced team has taken over. The company has targeted to reduce the cost and expenditure in order to make faster paybacks to the investors. They are targeting for a more cash return and for sales growth in the future years. They are focusing on factors such as Driving UK profit, Growing group sourcing, Rolling out in Eastern Europe and reducing working capital etc. (Kingfisher, 2010) The past company strategy evolved around the acquisition of some of the major world retail stores in order to promote their sales. The made efforts to acquire Castorama and to become the world’s leading home improvement company, only to be beaten by Wal-Mart. In December 2009, Kingfisher Plc announced that the shares of their company would be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. (Reuters, 2010) This decision was taken due to the trading on low level of their stocks. Similar action has also been taken in Stock Exchange of Paris. Kingfisher Plc appointed a new chairman in March 2009. (Reuters, 2010) Peter Jackson, the chairman at that time, retired and Daniel Bernard was appointed as the new chairman to take effect from 3rd June 2009. Castorama, one of the owned portions of Kingfisher Plc were sold to Leroy Merlin Italy. (Reuters, 2010) This sale was made at a cash inflow of £5591 million which also included an adjustment for profit. This transaction took place in the month of January in 2009.